Winfree’s WWE Smackdown Review 2.17.23

Well everyone, tonight is the final go home show for Elimination Chamber which is coming your way tomorrow. To that end Sami Zayn will be here to address the Montreal crowd, and he’ll probably have some kind of interaction with either Paul Heyman or Roman Reigns though I doubt anything too physical is on the menu give the big match tomorrow. As far as action tonight we’ve got a couple of tag team matches with Drew McIntyre and Sheamus taking on the Viking Raiders plus Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler battle Natalya and Shotzi to determine once and for all if last names matter in wrestling. We’ve also got Liv Morgan taking on Evil Clown Asuka after Asuka tapped her out on RAW, Asuka should win as she’s the most obvious choice to win the Chamber match and take on Bianca Belair at Mania of the competitors in that match. Also Gunther looks to continue his impressive Intercontinental title reign, he’s passing a ton of recent reigns in length with only a handful of older runs exceeding his current one and tonight defends against Madcap Moss. Gunther was able to drag a compelling match out of Braun Strowman a few weeks back, if he can do the same here with the severely limited Moss we need to begin recognizing Gunther as the wrestling god of our current era. We’re also still waiting on what’s next for Bray Wyatt, we briefly heard from LA Knight last week as he wants to move on but Wyatt hasn’t really showed up since the Rumble. Anyway that’s the preamble, let’s get to the action.

We open with an “In Memory of Jerry Jarrett” graphic.

Next a video recap of last weeks episode and all the relevant drama. After that the full video intro, we’re definitely stretching a lot of stuff for time tonight with the PPV tomorrow. Michael Cole and Wade Barrett welcome us to the show.

As Natalya and Shotzi head to the ring we get a video recap of Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler running roughshod over the other women.

Match #1 – Tag Team Match: Natalya and Shotzi vs. Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler

Natalya and Baszler start us off, they trade some mat wrestling exchanges before Natalya lands a kick. Ronda tags in, she and Natalya trade arm wringers and escapes, then they both avoid finishers and stand off. Baszler tags back in, and here comes Shotzi as well. Shotzi tries to pick up the pace with strikes, Baszler doesn’t appreciate that and backs her into a corner leading to Ronda tagging in for strikes. Baszler back in and looks to stomp the arm of Shotzi but Shotzi rolls away then lands a drop kick. Ronda back in, Shotzi is able to hit a Tiger suplex into the Cattle Mutilation, Ronda escapes without much issue but Shotzi sends her out of the ring to set up a suicide dive, then Natalya takes out Baszler with a discus clothesline. Shotzi up top, and jumps onto both Ronda and Baszler to send us to break.

We come back to Baszler attacking the arm of Shotzi. Shotzi tries to fight free but Baszler wont let her tag out and cheap shots Natalya. Ronda tags in, things get awkward and Shotzi climbs the ropes and tries dropping with a DDT to Ronda on the apron, this one comes off better than the one they tried during their singles match. Back in the ring Baszler tags herself in, Shotzi lands an enziguri and tags out. Natalya with some slow motion clotheslines then a Russian leg sweep. German suplex from Natalya, then she counters a running knee with a running Ligerbomb for a 2 count. Baszler avoids a Sharpshooter and grabs the Kirifuda Clutch, Ronda with the blind tag and misses a flying nothing, might have tweaked her knee. Natalya with the Sharpshooter on Ronda, that goes on for a bit but Baszler breaks up the hold. Shotzi tags in, they go for a Hart Attack but Baszler trips up Natalya as Ronda grabs the armbar on Shotzi and gets the tap.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler won

Rating: 2 stars

This way overstayed its welcome, should have cut this about in half in terms of run time. If you’re trying to build Ronda and Baszler as a tag team having them go this close with Shotzi and Natalya is kind of a mistake. The action itself was pretty sloppy and the entire first half was kind of disjointed with a lot of pointless motion.

After this break we’ll get a video recap of Sami Zayn and Roma Reigns. We do get a quick little blip of Bray Wyatt/Uncle Howdy video.

After the break we get our first of several parts of a video series on Sami Zayn and Roman Reigns. This one goes back to April when Sami first approached Roman in the wake of losing to Johnny Knoxville at WrestleMania in search of credibility and a place to belong. We get a montage of Sami taking various forms of physical abuse to keep the Bloodline safe. A highlight of the Tribal Court when Jey Uso stood up for Sami and how Roman warned Sami that his final test would be at the Royal Rumble.

After that we find Hit Row in the ring, God help us all. Top Dolla, Ashante the Adonis, and B-Fab want to perform. This is thankfully interrupted by Bray Wyatt in the biggest babyface move ever. Bray and Uncle Howdy are on the ring apron, Bray takes off a mask but Howdy keeps his on for the moment. B-Fab powders, Dolla gets ejected by Wyatt with a Mandible Claw slam then Howdy wipes out Ashante with a Sister Abigail. Bray gets a mic and tells the fans they’re welcome, they appreciate it. Now that Bray is in control of himself once again he wants to be the first to tell everyone that tomorrow night, Bobby Lashley and Brock Lesnar, whoever wins better know that they should run. OK, that’s definitely a direction. Not sure how good an idea it is as I don’t think either Brock or Lashley can work with Bray but we’ll find out.

In the back Ridge Holland and Butch fire up Drew McIntyre and Sheamus for their match, which is up after this break.

Post break we get a recap of the Fatal 4-Way for the shot at Gunther tonight that took place last week.

In the back Madcap Moss and Emma talk, Moss says no one expected him to win, but Emma did. Emma hypes up Moss, Moss says people can doubt and be wrong until they realize that he’s a superstar.

Ariel Helwani is here in the crowd talking, he says the buzz now equals anything he felt for a Geroges Saint-Pierre title defense and that Montreal is ready for their guy to get it done tomorrow.

To the ring, and here come Sheamus and Drew McIntyre.

Match #2 – Tag Team Match: Sheamus and Drew McIntyre vs. The Viking Raiders (Erik and Ivar) w/ Valhalla

Ivar and Sheamus start us off, both men miss kicks then Sheamus runs over Ivar. They head to the floor, and everything turns into a brawl. Drew bounces Erik off of the barricade. Back in the ring Ivar lands kicks to Sheamus but Sheamus clotheslines him out of the ring again as we head to break.

We come back to Erik dropping Sheamus then tagging in Ivar. Nerve hold from Ivar, Sheamus then fights back to his feet but Ivar clocks him with a right hand. Corner offense from Ivar then he tags in Erik. Erik with some clubbing blows then pulls at the face of Sheamus. Sheamus fights back with some strikes but Erik clocks him with an elbow then tags in Ivar. Ivar cheap shots Drew then lines up a cannonball onto Sheamus but Sheamus comes out of the corner with a clothesline and both men are down. Both men tag out and Drew gets to run wild for a bit then he sets for the Future Shock DDT but Erik fights back and they start trading strikes before Drew catches Erik with a Michinoku Driver for a 2 count. Erik with a cross chop to the throat and he tags out. Ivar and Drew clash heads, and Drew staggers over to tag in Sheamus. Sheamus and Ivar trade strikes, then Ivar lands a boot and climbs the ropes only for Sheamus to meet him there. Now Sheamus goes for an avalanche Finlay Roll, he hits it and both men are down again as we get another break.

We come back to Bodhran Beating from both Sheamus and Drew to the tune of about 20. Drew with a spinebuster to Ivar and tags in Sheamus. Sheamus heads up top, diving knee to Ivar and that gets 2. Erik pulls Ivar to their corner and tags himself in, then immediately runs into a tilt a whirl slam. Sheamus wants the Brogue Kick, but Ivar botches a powerbomb counter, then saves it with a release powerbomb after they staggered around. Now Erik heads up top, but his flying nothing lands on the knee of Sheamus and Sheamus tags out. Drew wants the Claymore, but Ivar helps pull Erik out of the ring to set up a Drew dive onto both of the Vikings. Back in the ring Valhalla distracts Drew, allowing Erik to hit a slam then he sets Drew up for Ivar to hit the second rope Worlds Strongest Slam only for Sheamus to dive in and break up the pin. Erik posts Sheamus, Drew looks to fight back but Ivar wipes him out with a spin kick. Ivar up top for the falling couch splash, it connects but again only a near fall. Drew fights off the Ragnarok with assistance from Drew, hits a Claymore onto Erik and gets the pin.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Sheamus and Drew McIntyre won

Rating: 3 stars

Solid enough match, the commercial breaks really hurt the momentum. Also, the Viking Raiders are pretty much dead now, they can’t get a win for love or money.

Part 2 of our Sami and Roman documentary, this one focuses on the Royal Rumble and the fallout from two weeks ago when Roman told Sami he was going to break him apart in front of his family in Montreal.

Back to the ring, and here comes Evil Clown Asuka and she’ll be taking on Liv Morgan after this break.

Post break Kayla is in the back to talk with Rey Mysterio. Rey, rocking a Bret Hart shirt, gets showed some backstage stuff with him and Santos Escobar from last week trading masks as a sign of respect. Rey says that meant a lot to him and Santos, competition is always welcome as is respect, but this is interrupted by Karrion Kross. Kross says once upon a time he wanted to be a father, but seeing how Dominik turned out he decided it wasn’t worth it. Kross insults Rey, and invites him to do something about it. Tick tock. If Kross had a meaningful win in the last few months his threats might mean more.

Back to the ring and here comes Liv Morgan.

Match #3: Asuka vs. Liv Morgan

Carmella has joined commentary, and it seems someone in WWE has learned that “simp” is a word several months after it was relevant. That’s par for the course. Asuka and Liv trade some holds then stand off, and Asuka offers a handshake then denies it when Liv goes to accept. Some strikes from Liv, then Asuka drills her with a German suplex and a sliding kick but only a 1 count. Asuka goes for an arm attack, as here comes Raquel Rodriguez to talk with Carmella. Raquel and Carmella trade some barbs, here’s Nikki Cross to be crazy and egg on Raquel and Carmella to fight. Liv starts fighting back in the ring, then Asuka lands a kick but Liv hits a Codebreaker off the second rope to get a near fall as we head to break.

We come back to Asuka working the arm of Liv again, Natalya has come out as well because this wasn’t crowded enough. Liv with some corner offense but Asuka counters an arm drag with a knee strike for 2. Asuka with some kicks to the chest, this fires up Liv who lands a slap and they have a bit of a crazy stare off. Flurry of strikes from Asuka, then Liv with a flurry of kicks and some corner strikes, but man the crowd is dead for this. Drop kick from Liv but Asuka pops up and counters an ObLIVion into the Asuka Lock and Liv has to tap.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Asuka won

Rating: 2.5 stars

Well that happened, but the over crowded area hurt the interest and presentation.

Post break everyone takes turns getting their stuff in to remind us that the Elimination Chamber match is tomorrow. We wind up with Asuka and Liv starting off again to end the segment.

Ariel Helwani is still here in the crowd, reminding us how long it’s been since the Montreal hockey team has won the Stanley Cup and saying how much the crowd wants Sami to win.

Imperium are at gorilla with Megan. Gunther doesn’t care about anything Moss has to say, one win and the words of his girl don’t change anything. Gunther has dominated for over 250 days, and tonight Moss will fall just like anyone who challenges the Ring General. Short, sweet, and to the point from Gunther.

Back to the ring and here comes Gunther, his title defense will be up after this break.

Post break here comes Madcap Moss. Still no reaction for Moss’s entrance.

Match #4 – Intercontinental Title Match: (c) Gunther vs. Madcap Moss w/ Emma

Moss goes for a takedown, Gunther defends and then lands some chops in a corner. Moss hits a double leg and looks for strikes but Gunther slips free and lands a body blow then a side headlock takeover. Gunther holds the headlock as they stand, then he drops Moss with a shoulder block. Moss goes to strikes then tries a shoulder block but runs into a chop from Gunther then a big boot from Gunther to follow up. Gunther with a headlock again, Moss tries to counter and eventually gets free then lands a shoulder block in the corner. Some more body work from Moss but Gunther stops a Spear with a front headlock. Moss into the ropes then counters a Thesz Press with a spinebuster then shoulder blocks Gunther out of the ring to send us to break.

We come back to an exchange of strikes, Gunther is generally getting the better of things and chops Moss down. A lot of cheers for Gunther. Moss avoids a powerbomb, tries the Punchline but Gunther shoves him off, tries the Last Symphony but Moss avoids it and gets caught in a Sleeper but counters into a back suplex. Moss hits the ropes for a clothesline and a 2 count. Gunther fights back with a chop then tries a suplex, he and Moss fight over the spot and Moss eventually hits the suplex. Punchline from Moss only gets a near fall. Gunther grabs a Sleeper but Moss slips free only for Gunther to chop him down again. Now Gunther goes up top for the Splash but Moss jumps up and hits him then they start fighting on the ropes. Gunther chops Moss down and again looks for the Splash, this time Moss jumps up to meet him on the ropes, he wants a second rope fall away slam and gets it but again only a 2 count. Moss looks to fire up, but he’s caught in a Sleeper and fades. Gunther switches to a folding Powerbomb and gets the pin.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Gunther retained the title

Rating: 3 stars

The crowd lost interest in this quick, but still the best Moss match maybe ever and Gunther can basically do no wrong in the ring.

After this break Sami Zayn will talk.

We come back and commentary tells us what’s on deck next week, including Rhea Ripley and Poochie talking, plus another match between Rey Mysterio and Karrion Kross after they had their odd one a few weeks back that got cut short. Oh, and a Firefly Funhouse episode. Well that’s at least something to look forward to.

Here comes Sami Zayn, who slips climbing the ropes but the crowd is still really hot for him. Sami gets a mic, but spends a while just soaking in some “Ole” chants. They’ve got plenty of time left on the broadcast. Sami’s visibly emotional and the crowd are willing to play along with more chants. Now a “You deserve it” chant. The heartbreak when Roman beats him tomorrow will be epic. This goes on for a while. Eventually Sami tries to talk but the broadcast is muted, presumably because of a profane chant that, if my lip reading is accurate, is “Fuck you Roman.” Finally Sami thanks the crowd, and says everyone points to the WrestleMania sign this time of year. Year after year we tell everyone Mania is the most important show, and it’s true. But for Sami, and for Montreal, tomorrow night is once in a lifetime. He tells Roman to listen to him, then speaks some French. Tomorrow is not Roman vs. Sami, it’s Roman vs. Sami and the entire city of Montreal, he yells that Roman is going down. That’ll do it for the episode.

6.0

The final score: review Average

The 411

This was going to be lower before the final segment. They were obviously filling a lot of time as no one wants to do anything stupid right before a PPV but it really drug things down. Gunther vs. Moss was fine enough but Moss isn't that good and even Gunther could only drag him above average. The Viking Raiders vs. Banger Bros was alright, probably better for the live crowd without the commercial breaks, but felt a little pointless and probably ends any hope the Raiders had of gaining positive momentum. Liv vs. Asuka was every one of these kinds of matches you've ever seen on WWE TV, designed more to remind you who's in the real match tomorrow. Most of this was just a miss, but the sustained reaction for Sami Zayn at the end and everyone just letting that moment be a singular thing scoots it up from Not So Good to Average.